Thoughts about owning FZ18 for one year & Olympics Torch Run

Wow, I can't believe I owned my trusty Panasonic FZ18 for exactly 1 year today. It seemed just like yesterday that I just received one of the most expensive technologies I ever purchased. Despite feeling like it was yesterday, I indeed have learned a lot about photography and it has become an important part of my life and my blog. I love this camera - it is an excellent camera in terms of lightweight, relatively inexpensive (when I bought it), its superzoom ability (and ability to add a teleconversion lens), and the images it captures under the right conditions (good lighting and still subjects). Since it has a regular point-and-shoot digital camera sensor, its flaws include poor image under low light conditions and slow autofocusing speed - unable to capture fast moving animals (e.g. birds in flight). So what now? I will continue to use my FZ18 since I still need to save money in order to buy a DSLR with good lenses in the future. When? That I do not know. Maybe soon or maybe later when I make enough money to support myself and my family.

Anyways, I went out to the dyke again today, but I went too late in the afternoon and the sun was already setting when I got there.

Beautiful feathery clouds.

Red-tailed Hawk by the golf course. I saw a Red-tailed Hawk three times today - twice by thegolf course, and I think they are all the same individual.

Female Northern Flicker calling loudly and turning its head just as I clicked the camera.

A Red-tailed Hawk again.

Like Hugh of Rock Paper Lizard, I am also tracking the wiley VATH. Argh!

A Bald Eagle posed nicely in front of me, but the low light condition caused troubles for my camera. Argh! This eagle then took off and broke off a branch while it was flying through the trees. Moments later, it crashed between the trees again and threw the branch away. Strange behavior.

Here's the eagle again, this time gnawing on a branch. I am guessing it's filing it beak? This Bald Eagle is quite peculiar.

The airspace was quite busy today with helicopters, jet planes, float planes, and so forth.

In the late afternoon, my mother and I went out to our street and watched the Olympics torch run. It was quite interesting - a lot of people getting excited to see a person in track suit running with a torch for one or two seconds before s/he is gone. I was not overly excited but at least now I have experienced a (probably) once-in-a-lifetime event.

On the way to O-Zone. Who's that? I have no idea...

365 days ago (2009-02-09) - morning & afternoon ...
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My New Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ18S

Here is an exiting news (well, for me at least). After using my sophisticated (but limited zoom) point-and-shoot Ricoh R8 for several months now, I decided to get a new camera. My dilemma is deciding between a DSLR or a superzoom camera (a.k.a. bridge camera). DSLR will have the superb image quality that I would like, but the negatives of owning one are: cost (especially for the lenses that I have to buy - macro, telephoto, etc) and weight. On the other hand, bridge cameras will have the adavantages on (relatively) cheaper cost and lighter weight, but lacks the image quality due to having a much smaller sensor. The cost comes first since I only have the vacation pay from the last job to spend on. I spend a lot of time looking for a bridge camera on sale within my budget and preference, but was having a hard time.

Long story short, I saw a Panasonic Lumix FZ18S being on sale (possibly being a demo product) last week and pulled the trigger. It was after I made the purchase that I looked through the reviews, and I read mostly positive reviews, espeically from birding forums and nature photographers! In addition, it also has the ability to add teleconverters and close-up lens (but that's for the future).

The camera arrived this morning (above are the pictures taken with my R8) and the battery just finished charging. Today is a sunny day, so I can't wait to go outside to compare my R8 and Lumix this afternoon. Later!
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